Slime Holes and Devil Rum
by fmlyhntr
Summary: On their travels, Lyta and G'kar have had many adventures. This is just one.


**Slime Holes and Devil Rum**  
**Christina**  
**Feb 1999**  
**PG13**  
**G'Kar, Lyta**

_The B5 universe offers an incredible amount of untold story space._

_My other B5 stories can be found at:_

_JMS, Warner Brothers, and Del Rey Books own the rights to the various aspects of the B5 Universe. I'm just visiting._

_On their travels, Lyta and G'kar have had many adventures. This is just one._

Lyta purposefully did not turn to look at the short dark man who was seated beside her. She clasped her glass tighter and concentrated on the sweetness of the liquid she was drinking. She did not want this drunk to think she was encouraging him.

"Hey, red...My friend here asked you a question," a new voice said. "We don't see hair like this often-is it real?"

She didn't answer until a large hand grabbed her shoulder and pulled her to face the friend. What had G'Kar been thinking when he'd picked this dismal bar to meet. "I'm waiting for ˆ someone." She glared at both men. In the months since leaving Babylon 5, she'd learned to avoid using her Vorlon enhanced abilities. She had discovered the joys of anonymity

"Well," the tall unshaven man said. "I'd say you'd found someone." His speech was slurred and he smelled of alcohol.

"Sorry, not interested." She started to turn back to her drink.

"A pretty woman like you," the shorter one said. She considered, briefly, frying their brains. She almost did when the short one ran his hand over her shoulder.

"I believe the woman said she wasn't interested," a familiar voice said.

"Go away Narn," the tall one said. "You aren't wanted here."

"Neither are you." G'Kar grabbed them both and shoved them away.

"G'Kar..." Lyta started to say, but the shorter man was charging him. G'Kar stepped aside, and the shorter one fell into the middle of a table of local miners. This was a signal for a brawl to begin, despite the pleading of the bartender. She concentrated on watching the shorter man struggl e to climb out of the pile of broken wood; while the Narn hit the taller man and sent him flying out a window. She stood, ducking the punches and flying bodies. "We should leave."

"I agree," G'Kar said. "I believe the local constabulary will be arriving soon."

She looked around the melee and nodded. "The bartender called. This way." She led him to a back room just as the sound of voices and ppgs firing could be heard. "What took you so long?" She asked accusingly as they exited the shack.

"My contact was in jail." He pulled a small box out of his pocket. "But patience is rewarded."

"How long 'til we can leave?"

G'Kar shrugged. "The repairs will be completed by morning."

That meant another night in the grim, rodent infested room. She frowned slightly.

He looked around cautiously then pointed toward the hotel door. "It might be useful to know."

She didn't say anything but concentrated for several seconds. "Nobody seems concerned. The two drunks by the door are more interested i n their bottle."

* * *

She could spend three weeks in a tub scrubbing the smell, the grime, and some strange insect off her-unfortunately G'Kar's ship only had a shower. It would have to do. But right now all she wanted to do was leave this hell hole. She stood and grabbed her clothes she'd hung over the railing-hoping they were reasonably clean-still.

G'Kar had promised an adventure-she'd just never assumed that adventure meant sleeping in slime heaps like this. She combed her hair and scratched it. "Next time we stay at the *best* place on the planet." She laughed.

She had no desire to eat another meal in this place-the ration bars on the ship were better-and definitely healthier. She dressed quickly and pounded on the door to his room. "Wake-up."

It opened immediately. "Ahh. Miss Alexander, you are ready." G'Kar smiled. "Good." He looked around the room. "Do they expect us to leave a tip?"

She laughed. "Probably-but the only tip I would leave is bleach and a sponge. "

"An excellent suggestion." He looked down the hall then picked up both their bags. "Come."

They walked silently out the hotel. They'd paid for three nights, because the manager claimed that they hadn't paid for the first one. G'Kar had paid with a forced smile-Lyta had wanted to do something else.

She chuckled. "What's so funny?" G'Kar asked as they turned a corner.

She didn't answer, instead noting a short dark man standing on box holding an empty bottle. "Yes, brothers and sisters, I was once a disciple of Ole Devil Rum. But I have seen the light, yes I have. God came to me and told me I would burn in the pits of Hell if I continued in my evil ways..."

He'd attracted a small crowd-mostly drunks. A few staggered away. Lyta was still chuckling as they walked past.

"He looks like the drunk..." G'Kar started to say, then shook his head.

"Yes he does, doesn't he?" Lyta said. She didn't look at her companion.

"Violence is not my way, but it seems to have been effective."

"It wasn't. Tonight or tomorrow he'll be drinking again. Even I can't cure an addiction..."

G'Kar smiled. "You have the heart of a Narn." He bowed then keyed in the combination to the hangar where their ship was.

"Perhaps..."


End file.
